Lebanese heroes who gave their lives on the altars of the nation also taught us that he who has faith in the nation, in liberty, and in the rights of its citizens will defend them with absolute vigor and most Honorable dedication, and will not fear any threats, threat of oppression, the loss of position or Property, or the disappearance of "Thyself" in a Fiery Syrian/Israeli Car BOMB, with CIA2's Blessing...aiding, abetting, covering-up, re-inventing disinformation to muddy the waters...

Thursday, June 19, 2008

In the wake of a narrowly averted civil war here last month, the United States now has a unique opportunity to help build something that all the parties to the conflict have said they very much want: a strong Lebanese Armed Forces.

Unfortunately, even though the Bush administration has provided more than $300 million in tactical aid to Lebanon since the Syrian withdrawal of 2005, it still apparently refuses to provide the kind of strategic weapons - guided rockets, tanks, modern artillery and intelligence-gathering equipment - that are desperately needed in this task. During her visit to Beirut this week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice didn't even mention the issue.

The reason for this, American and Lebanese officials say privately, is a longstanding prohibition against supplying Lebanese forces with advanced equipment that could be used against Israel.

This "red line" remains even though Hezbollah has far more dangerous weaponry, and despite Washington's commitment to build up the authority of the state. It is a testament to how short-sighted and contradictory the American approach to Lebanon has been.

Indeed, last month in Beirut, the army was left without the equipment that would have enabled it to be a more forceful mediator in the street battles involving Hezbollah and its rivals.

The lack of equipment also contributed to the military's inability last summer to quickly roust a group of Islamist militants from a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon. Late in that conflict, the United Arab Emirates donated advanced Gazelle helicopters to Lebanon, but Washington required all advanced rocketry to be removed before shipment. As a result, soldiers were forced to drop shells from the helicopters by hand, destroying much of the camp, when they might have been able to pinpoint the Islamist fighters.

Moreover, when Russia stepped in to offer the Lebanese military essentially anything it wanted, free of charge, according to one former military official involved in the discussions, the Bush administration prohibited the Lebanese government from accepting the offer.

Thankfully, the United States now has an opportunity to right some of the wrongs of the past, and in the process help draw a peaceful roadmap for Hezbollah's eventual normalization.

The violence in Beirut seems to have reduced support for Hezbollah among some Lebanese, as well as demonstrated just how much the group needs the Lebanese Armed Forces. In fact, without the military, Hezbollah would have been left with the unsavory option of pursuing a Hamas-style takeover of Lebanon in full, something it clearly did not want.

In the end, the presence of the armed forces afforded Hezbollah and its rivals a way to quickly withdraw, clearing the way for negotiations that led to the installation of a president and should shortly lead to a new national unity government.

Hezbollah's reduced popularity and its reliance on the army set an ideal foundation for the most important task facing the new government: creating a credible defense plan. Give the Lebanese an army able to meet the perceived threats emanating from Israel (primarily involving water, territory and a possible future expulsion of Palestinians to Lebanon), and then, Hezbollah has said, its independent weaponry can be tackled. Encouraging this dynamic should be at the top of the American agenda in Lebanon, especially since the two primary disputes between Hezbollah and Israel (the status of Shebaa Farms and a prisoner exchange) appear on the verge of a resolution - thus further undercutting Hezbollah's rationale for bearing arms.

This necessarily means accepting a strong force arrayed defensively against Israel. But ultimately the United States would do far better for Lebanon and its own interests by allowing the country's military to get what it needs, rather than leaving the field open to Hezbollah.

Nicholas Noe is the editor in chief of Mideastwire.com and the editor of "Voice of Hezbollah: The Statements of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah."

Elie

It's so easy to forgive, so very hard to forget.....RIP

Elie

It's so easy to forgive, so very hard to forget.....RIP

With my Prayers, For Elie Hobeika

WITH MY PRAYERS, ALONE, YOU WILL REMAIN A"Mystery" in a COMA, and a vegetable Israel's comatose former prime assassinations minister, Ariel BUTCHER Sharon, was moved back to his desert HELL on Friday, leaving the secure hospital ward that has been his earthly HELL for almost five years, ZIOCONS said. Sharon, 82, will continue to receive my death wishes at Sycamore Farm, where as premier he would summon advisers to plan assassinations strategies such as US/Syria/Israel's January 24th 2002 assassination of popular Christian Politician Mr. Elie HOBEIKA...at the hands of Asef SHAWKAT's Goons and the infamous White House Murder INC,..... Felled by a stroke in January 2006, because of my intensive daily prayers....in revenge for the assassination of Mr. Elie HOBEIKA, and he will remain COMATOSE until I release him into a permanent HELL..., the BUTCHER of Sabra Shatila and the 82 Lebanon war left behind an often jittery Jewish state that has since LOST two wars while charting an uncertain course in U.S.-sponsored FAKE talks with the Palestinians.... .

http://hobeika.blogspot.com/

قدر العظماء

قدر العظماء أن يمضوا شهداء
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all, and that's Elie's Legacy."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"EVERYTHING you know is "said" to be "WRONG"
"The Truth IS STRANGER than fiction."
"The Truth is ALWAYS the FIRST CASUALTY OF WAR."
"OFFICIAL LIES are ALWAYS the BIGGEST LIES OF ALL."
"The more things change, the more they STAY THE SAME."

Elie Hobeika -

Elie HOBEIKA

RIP all 4 Heroes

وعــــد إيلي حبيقة

وعــــد إيلي حبيقة---------------------

Jesus Christ wants to come into your life.

Only He can be your true satisfaction.

The Bible says that "God so loved this

world (all of us) HE gave His only Son

(Jesus) that whoever believes in Him

should not perish but have eternal life."

To believe in Jesus is to believe that

He is The Son of God and to give

yourself to Him completely.

Read the Bible and pray daily.This is the only way to overcome evil.

Remember there is a Heaven to gainand A REAL HELL TO AVOID.

WE WILL LIVE FOREVER SOMEWHERE.

ONLY THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS

CAN CLEANSE AWAY SIN.

May The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

The Love of God and The Fellowship of

The Holy Spirit be with you.

ELIE, Mitri, Walid, Phares.

RIP

HK, Phares, Walid, Mitri.

Lebanese Heroes.

Elie Hobeika - HK. A Lebanese HERO

HK

Elie Hobeika - HK. A Lebanese Hero.

HK

Elie Hobeika

HK

ST

ELIE HOBEIKA

ELIE HOBEIKA

PZ

RC

WIKI

Core2

About Me

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